Manual or automatic driving licence in Poland — which one to choose?

Polish law allows the Category B exam on a car with an automatic gearbox. The catch: your licence then carries a restriction code that limits you to automatic vehicles. A manual licence covers both.

What the exam looks like in each case

The theory exam is identical. On the practical exam, WORD centres in Warsaw provide manual cars only — for an automatic exam you use the driving school's automatic car, which we provide for the exam. The route, tasks and scoring are the same.

When automatic makes sense

• You plan to drive only automatic cars (most new cars, EVs and car-sharing fleets are automatic)
• You struggled with clutch work in the past and want a calmer course
• You need the licence quickly for city driving in Warsaw

When manual is worth it

• You may drive older or borrowed cars, or work vehicles
• You want the full licence with no restriction, for life
• Renting cars abroad is easier and cheaper with a manual entitlement

EVs, the future of cars and driving for work

Automatics make up a growing share of new car sales, and electric cars and most hybrids have no manual gearbox at all. If you plan to drive an EV or use car-sharing, an automatic licence will rarely hold you back.

Driving for work is different: some company fleets are still manual, and employers often expect a licence without code 78. In that case a manual course is the safer choice.

Driver-assist systems in training cars

Newer automatic training cars often have parking sensors, a reversing camera, traffic-sign recognition and an electric parking brake. You may use them during the course and the exam, but you do not have to — the examiner still expects your own observation, including looking through the rear window when reversing around the curve.

Can you upgrade later?

Yes — but it means passing the practical exam again on a manual car. No new course is required, only a few refresher lessons to learn clutch control. Many of our students start with automatic and upgrade after a year or two.